RESUMO
Viral hepatitis B and C are common causes of chronic liver disease and a major public health issue all over the world. Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections are indolent, often subclinical diseases that may lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma after decades. In this study, our aim was to find out the frequency of HBsAg and Anti-HCV in the subjects planned to undergo eye surgery and to stress the importance of pre-operative screening by using cost effective immunochromatographic test kits. Subjects of both genders [n=6340] attending Madina Teaching Hospital, Faisalabad for ophthalmic surgery were randomly selected as study subjects and were screened for HBsAg and Anti-HCV during the pre-operative period. This study was conducted for a period of 27 months, in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Blood specimens were collected and tested for the qualitative detection of HBsAg and Anti-HCV in serum using simple, one step immunochromatographic assay. Our study was conducted in hospital based population and a total of 6340 subjects were screened for both hepatitis B and C. The carrier state of hepatitis was detected in 19.97% of the subjects. The prevalence of HCV among the total cases studied was 17.85%, hepatitis B, 1.35% and hepatitis B and C [dual infection] 0.46%. More than half [51.06%] of the adults: 60 years of age were HCV seropositive indicating a strong increase in the older age group. A higher percentage of male subjects showed positive results for HBsAg as compared to females but this difference was insignificant in Anti-HCV reactive subjects. This study concludes that frequency of HCV infection is quite high in the studied population and is much higher than that of HBV infection that is much lower in this population. Routine and preoperative screening for HBV and HCV infection can help reduction in transmission of infection. The simple and accurate ICT for HBsAg and Anti-HCV immunoassays provide a flexible, technically undemandable and relatively inexpensive approach to ensure a safer blood supply and pre-operative screening of surgical patients and donors